Current-collector for magnetos



APPLICATIO FILED 1193.5,19l9f V. W, THOl'flaSt CURRENT COLLECOR FOR NGNETOS.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 5, 99. 1,57%,7880 Pam@ Ma 29, 19m

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

dent of Vaukeran in the PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR W. THOMAS, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS.

CURRENT-COLLECTOR FOR MAGNETOS.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, VICTOR W. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resi- I county of Lake arid State of Illinois, have invented certain, new and useful Improvements in Current Collectors for Magnetos, of which the tollowing is a specification.

My present invention has relation to the provision of instrumentalities for the conservation of the current not utilized in ignition or illumination, which is generated by the magneto in the operation of an internal combustion engine. As will be hereafter seen, the present embodiment of my invention is especially designed for appli'- cation to Ford/ automobiles, although the principles and general arrangement of parts employed, with slight changes of structural details, are applicable in most cases in which magnetos are used for generating currentv for ignition in connection with the operation of internal combustion engines.

In Ford automobiles, as they are at present sold, electricity for both ignition and lighting is generated by a magneto which is partially built into the fly-wheel lof the engine and which consists of vaseries of oppositely wound bundles of wire disposed in the field of an equal number of pairs of iXed magnets mounted upon and rotatable with the fly-wheel.v The polarity presented to thefield by each magnet of a pair is the same, but the polarity of adjacent pairs of magnets differ, and the passage of the fields of the series of pairs of magnets of opposite polarity through the series of oppositely wound bundles of wire produces or generates an alternating current of considerable volume. The volume of this current is considerably greater than is necessary for purposes of ignition, and notwithstanding the production of a large ezicessi current at times, there is no current at all .for purposes of lighting when the engine 1s not running.

The principal object of my present invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive attachment which will collect the electrical energy generated by a magneto in the form of a direct current whereby that Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Application led April 5, 1919. Serial No. 287,823.

portion of the energy not utilized in ignition or illumination may be passed into a storage battery and conserved Jfor use at a time when it is desired to employ the current without runningthe motor. It will also hereafter be seen that an important detail in the practical working out of the instrumentalitie's for obtaining the object above outlined is the nicety of timing of the movements of the fixed magnets and the commutator for taking off the current. A further object of my invention is theretore the provision of means for adjusting the relation of the movement of the crankshaft of the engine, which rotates the fixed "magnets, with the movement of the, timing shaft of the engine, which erating the commutator. Seen that this same means may be advantageously utilized in securing the adjustment of the time of ignition, even where my commutator is not employed.

I attain the above objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,-

Figure l is a front elevationof the forward end or cover of the timing-gears box, with the brackets for supporting the commutator and its associated parts cast integral therewith;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the structure shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a YFragmental section through the commutator taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are circuit diagrams;

Fig 6 isa fragmental detail of the assembly of the spiral gear with the timer shaft.

In the drawing I have employed the Same reference characters to designate similar portions throughout the several views.

My entire mechanism is mounted upon the forward end or cover of the timing gears case, and in order to install it all that is necessary is to dismount the cover for the timing car, and Substitute therefor the structure hereafter described and illustrated.

Through the central opening l0 in the forward end or cover, 11, of the timinggears box extends the shaft,'12, upon which I employ for op- It will also be gears case, which comes with the serva is n. mally mounted the distributer mechan1 extending in the shaft, 12, and held in place by the .liai'iged washer or cap 15, and nut, 16. The slotted collar ol the original distributing mechanism is removed and there is mounted upon shaft, 12, in place thereof a spiral gear, 17, having a slotted yte ` gea r trains.

' central flange or hub, 18, adapted to be se- .and 2l. Extending forwardly 'from the lace of the corer plate, l1, above the 'pillow blocks, lla and i9, are the ronnnutator bracket and box., and 223, which box is centrally bored at 24, to' aline with the bores in the bushings, Q and 21. Wounted to rotate in and extending upwarnflly from the bushings, Q0 and 21, isa shaft, 25, which is longitudinally slotted at 26 between the bushings, 2O and 21, and to which is slidingly secured by'means olf a key or spline, 27, a spiral gear, 28, which meshes with the spiral gear, 17. Between the lowerside of I the spiral gear, 28, and the lower b ushin', 2l, l preferably provide a liber ythrust collar, 29. lt will now/.be seen that by screwing the bushings Q() and 21 both up or both down, I can elevate or depress the spiral gear 28, and as the gear Q8 is splined or keyed toithe vertical shaft andiis in mesh with the spiral gear, 17, its movement up, or down, without a movement of the gear, 17, will causo a rotation ot' the gear.

28 and the shaft 25, thereby providing a simple and extremely delicate means for ad-V justing the movement of the rerticalshaft, 2?), to the movement ot the in otor or' engine which moves the shaft., 1Q. through suitable After thebnshings 2() and 21 have been ad'justodtheymay be secured in these desired positions by means ofthe.

look-washers il() that screw upon said bushings against the pillow-blocks 1H and 1S), respectively.

rl`he shaft is continued upwardly above the eomlnutator-box 2?, the upper extension above the -coiniuutator-box being conveniently employed iur mounting thetiiner and distriluitcrl'to be hereinafter doseribed. The

top ot' the side walls ot the commutator-box is interiorly bored to provide the annular shoulder 31, and the shaft 25 is preferably reduced Ato provide a shoulder 32. A centrally borcdrplate 33 through which the re-v duced portion ot the shat't extends rests upon the shoulder 31 and acts as a closure snr by means eta slotted collar, a' pin, 13, a

Lerares for-the commutator-box and as a base for the timer structure to be hereinafter described.

Tithin the Conn'nutator-box 23 and below the plate 33 upon tl e shatQ is mounted the commutator, which may be lconstructed in any desired manner, but which may conveniently be. made of a central diskshapetl bloeit lleioi insnl ing material which is surrounded l, upper and lower caps 35 and so, r tively.` The vertical cylindrical llanges or' these caps are castellated and dove-tailed` but. not contacting, to form, respectively, downwardly and upwardly extending, parallel Contact mem-v bers 37 and 38, 'the' spaces between 'which members being preferably filled with a suitable insi'ilating material 39.

'lhe Ford magneto is constructed sixteen pairs ot magnets and sixteen coils, but. as the timing shaft through which my shaft 25 actuated, rotates at but onehalt the speed ofthe engine crank-'shaftwith whieh the magnets rotate, my eommutator isconstructed with thirty-two of the contact members 37 and 3S.

the eommutator-box '23, extend two stub embossments 40, whichare bored to provide ln'ush-chambers 41, having annular, shoulders 42 at their outer ends. "l`hese chambers Ll1 are lined with insulating shells 43, in`

which are mounted carbonbrushes -lel pressed toward the commutator by coiled springs #l5 and 'are electrically connected through the springs'il to the outside circuit by means of screws 46 in connection with insulating washers 47 and binding-nuts 4S. The brushes are so positioned that when one brush is contactinga downwardly extending Contact surface 37, tjhe other will be engaging an A upwardly extending contact ,surface 38,

Extending from the bottom of'the com- Inutator-box .23 ,is 'a stub embossment lll similar in all respects to the stub embossments 40, and similarly provided with insulation 5l) and a 'ca-rbon contact brush 51. This brush 51 contacts the lower face ot' tlu` lower rap 35 and-is in electrical communication with all the upstandingcontact surfaces 38. The brush 51 is in electrical cornmu'nication through its binding-post 52 with the insulated' end of ,the magneto circuit. l, fwhile the upper cap 3G of the commutator is extended to the shaft 25 and isl thereby in electrical connection with the grounded end of the magneto circuit 5ft. The binding-posts 46 ot' the. brushes 45- are connected in circuit with respectively the storage battery.v

In diagrammatic F. ig. 4 it is assumed that with v 'positive and negative posts 5G and 57 of delivered to the under or bottom cap 35.

ositive current is therefore passing from the brush 45 in contact therewith to the positive pole 56 of the storage battery, while the grounded or negativeend of the current is in connection with the negative pole 54 of the storage battery through the upper cap 36 of the commutator. Fig. 5 illustrates the next succeeding phase of current production in which negative current is passing from the insulated end of the magneto circuit 53 to the lower commutator cap 35 and positive current is in the grounded circuit 55 from the magneto which 1s connected* with the upper cap 36 of the commutator, but as will be seen from Fig. 5 during this phase of current production, the upper cap 36 of the commutator is in electrical connection with the positive pole 56 of the storage battery and the lower cap of the commutator is in electrical connection with the negative pole 57 of the storage battery. The requisite nicety of timing between the movement of the magneto and the commutator is secured, as heretofore pointed out, by the adjustment of the bushings 20 and 21.

Fitting into the top of the commutatorbox 23, and resting upon the top of the plate 33, is a timerand distributer shell 58, which is adapted to be held in position by a spring-clip 59 carried by a bracket 60, preferably cast integral with the commutatorbox 23. The timer and distributer structure employed may be of any form but preferably of the construction shown in my application for Letters Patent of the United States for distributer and timer structure, executed even date herewith and filed April 5th, 1919, Serial Number 287,824. The moving wiper 60 element of such a timer is mounted upon and securedto the upper en'd of the shaft 25, which extends above the plate 33 and into the timer and distributor shell 58. The mechanism by which this assembly is made is similar to and identical with the instrumentalities for securing the spiral gear 17 to the timer shaft 12, as heretofore described and as illustrated in Fig. 6. In the installation of the timer anddis tributer; directly with the timer shaft 12, it often happens that a proper synchronization of the movement of the timer with the piston movement of the engine is not secured, but in the installation of the distributer and timer, as herein described, through the instrumentality of the spiral gears 17 and 28, which permits of. an extreme delicacy of adjustment through the medium of the bushings 20 and 21, the proper relation between the movement of the timer and the piston can be easily secured.

Having described .my invention, what I claim as new is 1. ln combination with an internal combustion cngine'and an electrical generating shaft upon opposite sides mechanism secured to and driven by the crank-shaft thereof, a commutator for taking current from said generator, and adjustable means for operatively connecting said commutator with the timing shaft of said engine comprising a spiral gear secured to said timing shaft, a shaft upon which said commutator is secured, a spiral gear mounted upon and longitudinally movable of said commutator shaft, and means for securing the same in desired cooperative relation with said first-mentioned spiral gear.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine and an electrical generating mechanism secured to and driven by the crank-shaft thereof, a commutator for taking current from said generator, and adjustable means for operatively connecting said commutator with the timing shaft of said engine comprising a spiral gear secured to said timing shaft, a shaft upon which said commutator is secured, a spiral gear mounted upon and longitudinally movable of said commutator shaft and in mesh with said first-mentioned spiral gear, and devices for adjusting said spiral gear 'longitudinally upon said commutator shaft.

3. An attachment for an internal combustion engine having a timer-shaft comprising a spiral gear adapted to be assembled with said timer shaft, a driven shaft, a second spiral gear longitudinally movable of said driven shaft and in mesh with said first-mentioned gearA` threaded bushings for said driven shaft disposed on opposite sides of said gear and adapted to control the position of said gear upon said shaft, and commutator and timer and distributor mechanism secured to and actuated by said driven shaft.

4. An attachment for an internal combustion engine having a timer shaft, of a spiral gear adapted to be mounted on said timer shaft, a driven shaft. a second spiral gear longitudinally movable with respect to said driven shaft and in mesh with said first mentioned gear, means for moving said second spiral gear to and securing it at a desired longitudinal position upon said driven shaft, said means consisting of threaded bushings surrounding said driven of said second spiral gear whereby thel movement of said bushings adjusts and secures in position said second spiral gear, and current control devices coactively mounted with respect to said driven shaft.

5. An attachment for internal combustion engine having a timer shaft, of a driven shaft, intermcshing spiral gears mounted respectively upon said timer and driven shafts, means for moving and securing one of said gears longitudinally of its mounting comprising bushings forming journals said bushings being disposed upon opposel sides' of said movabla @ear Whereb 1 the@ .move lent changes the position o said mov 1 able gezuand cuflent control devices coacshaft.

-Statecf Sffnd at Waukegan, county 01"' Lale and f lmols, 25ms 29th day of Magma? VCTOR W. THOMA Witnesses s A JQHN WLLIAM NEL-ms, ,51m ARTHUR THQMAS- 

